XIII Международная студенческая научная конференция Студенческий научный форум - 2021

The first Buddhist texts are known to us in the Phalli language. Later literature was written in Sanskrit. Buddha himself was against translating his teachings into the Vedic Language: “Let everyone study the Dharma in their own language” - said the Buddha.[2; с. 16]

The Sanskrit Tripitaka (the first set of Buddhist laws), like many other Sanskrit texts, has not reached us - the Muslim conquest of the state of Palov and Bengal led to the destruction of many Sanskrit Buddhist texts.

By 80 BC the first, pre-canonical stage of Buddhism is completed and the Phalli Theravada Canon is formed. At the same time, the first Mahayana sutras began to appear.

Nowadays there are three versions of the Tripitaka: Phallic and two versions of Mahayana - in Chinese and Tibetan.

The Chinese and Tibetan versions of the Tripitaka overlap in many ways and complement each other in some cases. The Chinese Tripitaka is authoritative for Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese Buddhists. Tibetan is for Buddhists of Tibet, Mongolia, as well as for Russian Buddhists, who mainly inhabited Buryatia, Kalmykia and Tuva.

The core of Buddhism is the teaching of the Four Noble Truths. Buddhists believe that all these truths were proclaimed by the Buddha himself during his sermons. Consideration of Buddhism teachings should begin with Adittapariyaya-sutta.

The first Noble Truth is the Truth of Suffering (Dukkha).

“Everything is suffering. Birth is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering, and separation from the pleasant is suffering. Indeed, all five groups of attachment are suffering” [2; p.21]. Suffering in Buddhism is a fundamental state of being. Buddhists do not deny the pleasant moments in life associated with pleasure, but at the same time they do not oppose pleasure (Sukkah) to suffering, but consider it a part of suffering itself, justifying this by the fact that no worldly state is completely satisfactory. People can run on strong physical or spiritual feast, desiring the endless. Nevertheless, they are unable to achieve this, and eventually the pleasure ends, from which people suffer even more. Or, on the contrary, having achieved what a person has been striving for all his life, he is disappointed, because further life no longer has its former meaning, since the set goal has been achieved and there is no longer anything to strive for.

The Second Noble Truth is the Truth about the cause of suffering.

According to this truth, life is based on an attraction to the pleasant and aversion to the unpleasant, which is expressed in the corresponding reactions based on a fundamental delusion that lies in the misunderstanding that the essence of being is suffering. Attraction generates suffering, if there was no impulse and zest for life, then there would be no suffering. Moreover, this zest for life permeates all nature. [2; p. 22] Moreover, life is regulated by the law of karma.

The word “karma” can be translated as “deed” or “action”. Over time, the meaning of the word expanded, and it began to mean any action that has a consequence and result. Attitude universe in Buddhism plays a very important role - it determines the necessity and form of the next birth. Accordingly, karma can lead to a good or bad form of birth. This cycle of birth is called samsara. Based on this, one can understand that a person himself is the creator of his karma, and it depends on him who he will become in the next life.

The Third Noble Truth is the Truth about the cessation of suffering

According to this truth, despite the fact that suffering permeates all levels of samsaric existence, there is also a state in which no more suffering, and this state is attainable. And it is called nirvana. Nirvana is a state of freedom and special impersonality, or transpersonal fullness of being. [2; p. 27] The Fourth Truth speaks of how to attain nirvana.

The fourth Noble Truth is the Truth about the path leading to the end of suffering (“The Truth about the Noble Eightfold Path”)

The entire Buddhist path is divided into three stages: the stage of wisdom, the stage of morality and the stage of concentration. The first stage consists of two stages, the other two - of three.

At the first stage, a person must learn the teachings of the Four Noble Truths and other basic principles of Buddhism, as well as finally decide to embark on the path leading to liberation, guided by Buddhist teachings.

At the second stage, a person must master the correct speech: avoid lying, slander, abuse, spreading rumors, etc. He must also take several vows. Lay Buddhists take the minimum number of vows: not harming living beings, giving up bad speech, not stealing, having a proper sex life, and avoiding intoxicating drinks. Monks have much more vows; they are described in detail in the “Vinay” section of the Buddhist Tripitaka.

The third stage is mainly intended for monks and is concluded in the constant practice of Buddhist yoga.

A person who has cognized all the “Four Noble Truths” and follows the “Eightfold Path” can achieve the highest degree of moral perfection, and then nirvana.

Over time, the Buddhist community (Sangha) managed to establish strong contacts with people. The members of the community were not interested in what gods the people worshiped, and what rituals they performed. The Sangha explained that the gods, in which people believe are located in the “Wheel of Life” and, like mere mortals, are subject to suffering. People were explained that the best deed of a layman is not to worship the gods, but to observe moral standards. Community members began to talk about the existence of karma, which needs to be improved by doing good deeds (primarily aimed at the good of the Buddhist community). The Sangha offered a wide range of activities, ranging from simple repetition of the “Three Treasures” formula (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha), and ending with the construction of religious buildings. Such deeds were supposed to help accumulate good merit in this life. By their example, the monks tried to show that, despite their lack of material wealth, they live a happy life.

Over time, members of the Sangha created religious literature that described the previous lives of the Buddha (Gattaca). In Buddhist monasteries, with the aim of attracting the population, religious ceremonies, spectacles and festive fairs began to be organized. Gradually, monasteries became centers of life in the area, not only satisfying spiritual needs, but also regulating many issues in the local society.

Close contacts with the local people led to the adaptation of Buddhist teachings to the traditions and beliefs of different countries peoples. In this regard, in the Buddhist community, controversy constantly arose over the interpretation of the Enlightenment methods. There has been controversy over whether oral and written traditions are consistent with the Buddha’s true sayings. These contradictions divided the Buddhist community into numerous schools and directions. However, this did not prevent the spread of Buddhism and the formation of it, in the future, as a world religion.

Since the reign of the third Indian king of the Maury dynasty - Asoka, the missionary activity of Buddhist monks begins to take on interstate proportions. In the III century, BC Asoka declared himself the patron and protector of Buddhism. Buddhist monasteries began to receive rich offerings from the king and local dignitaries. An increasing number of Kshatriyas and Brahmans became followers of Buddhism. At the same time, the political influence of the Sangha increased. Asoka ordered to convene a council, at which the Theravada teachings (the oldest school of Buddhism) were unified. Those who refused to follow its doctrines were expelled from the Sangha. At the same council, it was decided to send missionaries outside India to spread Buddhist teachings. Missionary activity of the Sangha under Asoka marked the beginning of the formation of Buddhism as a world religion. Since that time, Buddhist preachers have been expanding their activities outside India, reaching remote regions of South, East and Southeast Asia. If the local people met them unfriendly, they did not begin to impose their religion by force, but simply moved on. If they managed to find support from local rulers, or find settlements in which the local clergy were tolerant of their activities, they began to actively promote their teachings. In this way, they gained a lot of followers.

The ability of the Buddhist community to coexist peacefully with other religions allowed it to survive for hundreds of years under the most unfavorable conditions. It was the tolerance of Buddhism that made it possible for monks to wait for the right moment to implement the Buddha's teachings.

Buddhism, at the time of its active spread, had a developed system of logic that made it possible to win victories in disputes with opponents. The relationship between the state and the Buddhist community was also well established - the gerent agreed to perform certain functions for the sake of people and he was given certain rights, including the collection of taxes. If the gerent abused his power, the preachers could go to other places, under the protection of another once.

The chronology and geography of the spread of Buddhism are as follows: at the end of the first millennium BC. Buddhism infiltrates Sri Lanka. In the first centuries AD it spreads over the vast territory of the Kashan Empire, which included the lands that were part of Central Asia, Central Asia Centre and Western Asia. In the 1st century AD Buddhism penetrates into China, in the 4th century - to Korea, in the 6th century - to Japan, in the 7th century - to Tibet, from the 13th to the 16th centuries - to Mongolia, in the 17th-18th centuries - to Buryatia and Tuva. In the countries of the Indochina Peninsula (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand) and in the insular part of Southeast Asia, Buddhism began to spread from the II century, and by the VIII-IX centuries, it firmly rooted there. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Buddhism penetrated Europe and America.

In conclusion, I should say, that Buddhism has a very rich history. Originating in India, it was able to spread throughout the world. First of all, due to the fact that the Buddhist teaching did not require a radical change in human life, and the observance of the rules and laws of the teaching did not radically change the usual life. Buddhism easily took root in new territories, mainly due to its non-conflict. The spread of Buddhism was facilitated by the activities of the Indian king Asoka, who declared himself his patron, and thanks to whom a large number of missionary movements were launched.

Список использованной литературы

1. Жуковская Н. Л. О буддизме и буддистах. - М.: Литагент «Ориенталия» 2013 г., 520 с.

2. Торчинов Е. А. Введение в буддологию. - СПб.: Санкт-Петербургское философское общество, 2000 г., 303 с.